WHO European Ministerial Conference on the Life-course Approach in the Context of Health 2020
21–22 October 2015, Minsk, Belarus
The WHO European Ministerial Conference brought together new evidence, from genetics to economics, on what governments can do to keep people healthy throughout the life course. The conference equipped policy-makers for promoting a healthy start to life and for targeting the needs of people at critical ages.
Vision and objectives of the Minsk conferenceTop story

The different life stages were discussed throughout the day's proceedings, starting with early childhood and adolescence – a time to optimize growth and development – through the middle years - with timely interventions to maintain peak health – and finally on the implications of the life-course approach for policy-making. The Conference ended with the signing of the Minsk Declaration.
Documentation
- Provisional programme (PDF, 196.3 KB)
- Scope and Purpose (PDF, 82.5 KB)
- The Minsk Declaration (PDF, 113.1 KB)
- Presentation – Life-course Approach: from evidence to policy
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Glossary of Life-course Terms

This glossary was prepared for the WHO European Ministerial Conference on the Life-course Approach in the Context of Health 2020 (Minsk, Belarus, 21–22 October 2015).
Download the glossaryAdvisory committee
The Scientific Advisory Committee leads preparation of the conference and provides the highest level of technical leadership for the conference functions and outputs.
Members of the committeeKey questions on the agenda
- How are other countries using the life-course approach?
- Are health policies tackling the highest priorities at the right time?
- How can health be protected in crises that threaten entire populations at different stages of life?
- How can immediate priorities for public policies be balanced with long-term public health needs and the growing expectations of citizens?
Publications

Videos
WHO European Ministerial Conference on the Life-course Approach in the Context of Health 2020
Video galleryPhotos

Gallery of selected photos from the Life-course conference, 21–22 October 2015, Minsk, Belarus
Photo gallery